Pull cord for roll-up awnings



Oct. 13, 1959 D MACY 2,908,327

PULL CORD FOR ROLL-UP AWNINGS Filed June 20, 1957 Kw MM db m we 9/ M 0.a

United States Patent PULL CORD FOR ROLL-UP AWNINGS Donald Macy, RichmondHeights, Mo., assignor to Artcraft Venetian Blind Manufacturing Companyof St. Louis, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June20, 1957, Serial No. 666,989 7 Claims. (Cl. 160- 133) This presentinvention relates generally to cord attachments, and more particularlyto a novel pull cord for rollup awnings. A problem that has persisted inthe roll-up awning art is that of providing a suitable pull cordattachment by means of which a cord can be attached to the awning forlowering it against the spring bias which tends to keep the awningraised. At least one source of difliculty has lain in previous attemptsto attach the cord to the spring cylinder in a manner to dispose atleast part of the cord, or its attachment, within the cylinder where itcould interfere with movement of the spring mechanism. The presentinvention, however, contemplates an attachment which engages theflexible curtain of the awning at a point adjacent the cylinder, orwhich may, if desired, be attached externally of the spring cylinderitself. 7

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel pullcord for roll-up awnings which may be attached externally of a springcylinder.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel pull cord forroll-up awnings which may be attached to a flexible awning curtainadjacent to a spring cylinder.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel pull cord forroll-up awnings which may be attached at any selected point over thewidth of the awning without the necessity for providing special holes orthe like in a particular location.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel clip engageablewith various portions of a roll-up awning and having spring clamp meansfor securement of a pull cord.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel pull cordattachment which is economical to construct, simple to install, andwhich is adapted for accommodation within the rolled-up portion of aroll-up awning.

The foregoing, along with other objects and advantages, will be apparentfrom the following description of a specific embodiment of the inventionas depicted in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pull cord clip conforming to thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the clip;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the clip;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3,respectively, but showing the clip with an attached pull cord;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the clip andattached cord engaged with the flexible curtain of a roll-up awning; and

Figure 8 is a side elevation drawn to reduced scale illustrating themanner in which the pull cord of the present invention functions toretain the roll-up awning in a lowered position.

Directing more particular attention to the details of the drawing asindicated by reference numerals, the numeral 10 designates a pull cordclip for attaching a cord 12 to a roll-up awning designated generally as14.

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The clip 10 is preferably fabricated from an elongated strip of sheetmetal, and, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 .of thedrawing, an end portion 16 of the strip is turned upwardly and the freeend then reversed to form a hook. A preferred form for this upturnedportion 16 is shown clearly in Figures 2, 5 and 7.

The remaining portion of the clip 10, designated 18 in the drawing, isleft in its original flat state, but has notches 20 and 22 formedtherein for retaining the cord 12. The notches 20 and 22 are of similarsize and shape, the shape including an inner terminus of circular formand a transverse portion having one side flared, as is clear from theseveral views of the drawing. The circular termini 24 are located on thelongitudinal center line of the clip 10.

The cord 12 is secured to the clip 10 by inserting a portion adjacentone end first in the notch 20 so as to dispose the cord in the circularend portion of the notch and then inserting an adjacent portion of thecord into the notch 22 in similar fashion. As indicated in Figure 5, theflat cord retaining portion'lS of the clip 10 may be twistedtransversely to accommodate the cord 12. The twist is preferably made ina direction which will cause spring tension to provide a positiveclamping action of the sides of the notches 20 and 22 against the cord12.

Formed as above described, the clip 10 and attached cord 12 areparticularly adapted for use with a roll-up awning of the type shown inFigures 7 and 8. In these figures, a spring cylinder 26 supported bypivoted arms 28 has a flexible curtain 30 hooked over an extended lip32. The curtain 30 comprises a plurality of relatively narrow slats thatare interfitted along their edges so as to make up an articulatedcurtain that can be rolled up onto the roller 26. A spring 34 actscontinuously to bias the roller 26 in a clockwise direction tending toroll the curtain 30 thereon and to raise the roller 26 itself throughpivoted movement of the arms 28. Roll-up awnings of the foregoing typeare fully disclosed in applications of Harry Nelson bearing SerialNumbers 569,900 and 632,184, filed January 27, 1956, and January 2 1957,respectively.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 7, the clip 10, above described, hasits hook portion 16 engaged over a rolled edge portion of the lowermostslat of the curtain 30, the other edge of this slat being engaged overthe lip 32 of the roller 26.

As is clear from Figure 8, the cord 12 may be hooked, as at 36, to holdthe awning 14 in lowered position against the tendency of the spring 34to return it to an up condition. When, on the other hand, it is desiredthat the awning should be raised partially or completely, the cord 12 isunhooked thereby enabling the roller 26 to rotate under the influence ofthe spring 34 so as to roll up the flexible curtain. At the same time,the clip 10 and its attached cord 12 will be rolled inside the curtain30, the shape of the hook 16 being clearly such as to accommodate thenecessary articulation between the clip 10 and the rolled edges of theslots forming the curtain 30.

It will be observed from Figure 7 that the direction in which the cord12 and clip 10 pull the curtain 30 when the awning 14 is in its downposition is such, not only to maintain the desired position of theawning 14, but to maintain the hooked tension of the lowermost curvededge of the curtain 30 over the lip 32 of the cylinder 26. Thus, thereis no tendency for these paits to become disengaged, as there might bewere the clip 10 to be engaged directly with the roller 26.

Clearly, there has been provided a pull cord for roll-up awnings whichfulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and theaccompanying drawing have been given only by way of illustration andexample. It is further to be understood that changes in the form of, theelements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalentelements, all of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, arecontemplated as being within the scope of the invention, which islimited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1; In a roll-up awning, a flexible multi-element curtain havingprojecting hook means joining said elements, a spring roller attached tosaid curtain for removably receiving said curtain, and a pull cordattachment for controlling the Winding and unwinding of the curtain onthe roller, said pull cord attachment comprising a length of flexiblecord and a clip removably secured to said cord, said clip having hookmeans for removable engagement with said hook means of said curtain at apoint remote from said roller.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the awning curtain comprises aplurality of consecutively articulated slats, an end slat of the curtainhaving articulated connection to the spring roller, said clip havingarticulated connection with said end slat.

3. In a roll-up awning mountable upon a surface, a plurality ofarticulated slats comprising a flexible curtain, each slot provided withedge portions of adjacent slats, a roller for receiving said awning whenrotated in one direction, and a pull cord attachment for rotating saidroller in a direction opposite to said one direction, said pull cordattachment comprising a flexible cord attached to a clip, said clipincluding a portion interlocking with a predetermined pair of saidinterlocking edge portions whereby tensile force on said cord will tendto rotate said roller in said opposite direction and extend said awningfrom said roller.

4. The awning of claim 3 wherein said edge portions '4 1 compriseinterlockable rolled hook portions and said clip portion comprises ahook interlockable with a pair of interlocked rolled hook portions.

5. The awning of claim 4 wherein said hook of said clip is of a size tobe interlockable between said pair of interlocked rolled hook portions.

6. A clip for use with an articulated slat curtain comprising aplurality of thin slats with edges rolled more than and with the rollededge of one slat rockably interfitted onto the rolled edge of the nextslat in a man ner to enable the curtain to be rolled up and down; theclip comprising an end portion shaped in a hook curved at least about180, and sized to engage around the outside of the rolled edge of afirst slat, within the inside of the rolled edge of a second slatinterconnected with the first slat; and a portion, projecting from thefirst portion, and having recesses to receive a flexible cord.

7. The clip of claim 6, wherein the projecting portion has two recessesextending to the edge of the clip and shaped to receive a cord woventhrough them, and to hold it against slippage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS427,287 Wood May 6, 1890 479,509 Heaphy July 26, 1892 1,653,586 RemhofDec. 20, 1927 1,701,793 Nelson Feb. 12, 1929 1,750,271 Kasan Mar. 11,1930 2,678,687 Armstrong May 18, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 652,433 FranceOct. 23, 1928

